For those yang planning nak travel long distance, the perfect time is during your second trimester. Sebab masa tuelaa most people dah pass through their “morning sickness phase” during first trimester, energy level will be higher and chances for miscarriage and preterm delivery are lower too. Tapi lain orang lain juga keadaannya. Ada yang second trimester baru nak start morning sickness. So depends jugaklaa kot. You’ll know your body better, so if rasa comfortable to travel.. just go ahead! Well, after some reading I come up with this short summary;

Top 10 things to keep in mind while traveling during pregnancy

Stay hydrated! Especially if you are traveling by flight because air humidity in the airplane cabins are kept low. Drink plenty of water and try to avoid caffeine.

Try to move around as much as possible. Make sure you have rooms for some stretching. It will help to avoid getting stiff, cramping, inflammation and blood clots. You may do some vein pumping exercise too! If you are on a flight, try to get an aisle seat (plus, it will be easier for you to go to the washroom. Mommy-to-be tends to have urgency for frequent urination).

Wear and pack comfortable shoes. Since you may need a lot of walking while traveling, it is best to opt for running shoes or ballerina type of shoes. To be more comfortable, you may add some console in your shoes so you will lessen the pressure on your feet.

Bring some snacks or fresh fruits. It is important to keep up your strength. Eating will help you to maintain your blood sugar level and can fight off the nausea.

Consult your doctor. It would bring no harm if you make some effort to get “permission to travel” letter from your doctor. You should do some check up and make sure everything is okay. It also a good idea to consult your doctor first before traveling in case you need some medical attention during your trip. You sure don’t want to put your baby in danger by traveling long distance if your pregnancy considered as high-risk. Of course it is good to have some safety precaution right?

Bring your medical record. You may think this is not a good idea but keeping your prenatal record with you at all time might be convenience in case some emergency occur. Just be prepared at all time.

Take things slower. You may prefer full packed activities or non-stop shopping on your trip. But since you are now pregnant, it is advisable for you to do things that are more relaxing. Avoid extreme sports such as snowboarding, scuba diving and water rafting. Try to avoid saunas or hot tubs too since it will not be good to your baby since the high temperature will raise your core body temperature (can lead to hyperthermia). Plus, the heavy sweating can cause dehydration and hypotension (low blood pressure).

Wear seatbelts! Fastened the seatbelt at the pelvic level. Sit as far as possible from the dashboard to avoid hitting it during sudden braking incident.

Watch what you eat and drink. Be extremely cautious on the hygiene to avoid catching infection like diarrhea. Diarrhea can dehydrate you and deplete you and your baby’s fluid and nutrient. Some precaution that you may take is by using disposable plastic or paper cups. Choose bottled or canned drinks and only pasteurized dairy products. Eat well cooked foods and avoid fresh fruits unless it can be peeled. Last but not least, always keep medication in hand.

Hope this might help those m2b yang contemplating whether to travel long distance or not during pregnancy. My advise, "listen to your body" :)